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Intake Breathing has received a $62 million investment from Camino Partners, its first significant outside capital, according to Athletech News. The family-run company plans to use the funding to expand beyond direct-to-consumer sales into physical retail and specialty channels and to hire for growth; the investment terms and rollout timetable were not reported.
Intake Breathing has received $62 million from Camino Partners, the investment firm founded by Kind Snacks creator Daniel Lubetzky, as the family-run company prepares to expand its magnetic nasal dilator into physical retail and specialty channels. The investment is Intake’s first significant outside capital infusion, according to Athletech News, and gives the company funding to support expansion and hiring.
Intake was founded by inventor and medical-device engineer Jim Castillo and is led by his son-in-law, co-founder and CEO Alex Hauck. Its product uses a reusable magnetic band and adhesive tabs to mechanically open the nasal valve, the narrowest part of the nasal airway. That design differs from conventional adhesive nasal strips, though the source report does not provide comparative clinical or performance data.
The company has built its business primarily through direct-to-consumer sales. Intake says it plans to put the new capital toward physical retail and specialty distribution, as well as key hires. The report does not name specific retail partners, hiring targets or the amount of the investment allocated to each purpose.
Camino’s investment adds Intake to a portfolio that includes Barry’s, a boutique fitness business, and Athletic Brewing, a nonalcoholic beer maker. Intake has also drawn attention among professional athletes, including Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski and Belgian soccer player Amadou Onana, according to Athletech News. Their association does not establish that the device improves athletic performance.
Funding for Retail Expansion
The $62 million investment gives Intake resources to pursue a broader sales footprint beyond online direct-to-consumer sales. Moving into physical retail and specialty channels could put the product in front of shoppers who do not encounter it through the company’s existing sales routes. The announcement signals an ambition to grow the category’s reach, but it does not confirm that retailers have signed on or that distribution has begun.
For Camino, the deal is a bet on a consumer brand built around nasal breathing and wellness. Lubetzky has compared the opportunity with the early development of Kind, saying the firm sees potential for Intake to become part of routine consumer habits. That is an investor’s view of the market, not evidence that demand will reach that scale. The company’s ability to translate funding into retail availability and sustained sales remains to be seen.
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Intake describes its product as a magnetic nasal dilator rather than a conventional adhesive strip. Its reusable band works with adhesive tabs to apply mechanical support around the nasal valve. The source report explains the product’s design but does not present independent tests, regulatory details or evidence comparing its effects with other nasal products.
The investment arrives amid consumer and industry interest in sleep, recovery and performance optimization, according to Athletech News. The company has gained visibility through athlete users, while Camino says it sees an opportunity to broaden nasal-breathing products beyond their traditional drugstore positioning. These points provide the commercial context for the deal; they do not establish a medical benefit or demonstrate that nasal breathing products improve sleep or athletic outcomes.
Intake’s founders and Camino frame the capital as a step into the company’s next growth phase. Hauck said the business began as a solution to a problem in Castillo’s garage. The report characterizes the funding as its first significant outside investment, but does not give a fuller financing history or disclose Camino’s ownership stake.
“We’re not just gaining capital, we’re gaining a partner who knows exactly what it takes to help get us there.”
— Alex Hauck, Intake Breathing co-founder and CEO
Deal Terms and Rollout Details
The report does not disclose the investment’s structure, Camino’s ownership share, or any conditions attached to the funding. It also does not identify specific store or specialty-channel partners, say when products will appear in stores, or detail how many employees Intake expects to hire.
There is also no reported financial data on Intake’s revenue, sales growth or customer base, making it difficult to assess the company’s current scale or the size of the expansion relative to its business. The source provides no independent clinical evidence about the product’s effects, and the presence of professional athletes among its users should not be read as proof of health or performance outcomes.
Retail Plans and Hiring Ahead
The next visible steps are whether Intake announces retail and specialty-channel partners, begins selling through those outlets and makes the planned hires. Those developments would show how the company is putting the $62 million to work. The report gives no timeline for any of them.
Further information about the deal’s terms, distribution plans and company performance could clarify the scale and pace of Intake’s expansion. Until those details emerge, the confirmed development is the investment and the company’s stated intention to grow beyond direct-to-consumer sales.
Key Questions
Who invested $62 million in Intake Breathing?
Camino Partners, the investment firm founded by Daniel Lubetzky, made the investment, according to Athletech News.
What does Intake Breathing make?
Intake makes a magnetic nasal dilator that uses a reusable band and adhesive tabs to mechanically open the nasal valve. The source report does not provide independent comparative testing of the product.
How does Intake plan to use the funding?
The company says it plans to expand into physical retail and specialty channels and make key hires. It has not disclosed a detailed spending breakdown or rollout schedule.
Does the investment prove the product improves sleep or athletic performance?
No. The investment and athlete associations are not clinical evidence. The report does not provide independent findings demonstrating that Intake’s device improves sleep, health or athletic performance.
Source: athletechnews.com
